Bexar County Democratic Party excels at ineptitude

Joseph Kopser speaks to a group at Boys State while making rounds on his campaign trail in Austin, Texas on June 12, 2018.

Joseph Kopser speaks to a group at Boys State while making rounds on his campaign trail in Austin, Texas on June 12, 2018.

Photo: Thao Nguyen /

Photo: Thao Nguyen /

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Joseph Kopser speaks to a group at Boys State while making rounds on his campaign trail in Austin, Texas on June 12, 2018.

Joseph Kopser speaks to a group at Boys State while making rounds on his campaign trail in Austin, Texas on June 12, 2018.

Photo: Thao Nguyen /

Bexar County Democratic Party excels at ineptitude

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Steve Kling and Joseph Kopser have a lot in common.

They are military veterans, successful businessmen and Democrats running for office in Republican strongholds who are getting no help from the Bexar County Democratic Party.

“Frankly, the Bexar County Democratic Party is in disarray right now,” Kling said.

The party has provided no infrastructure or support for Kopser, Kling and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, whose campaigns overlap across northern Bexar County. It’s forced the three campaigns to essentially take over party duties.

“They have completely gotten out of Precinct 3 entirely, which has left myself, and other candidates like Joseph Kopser and Nelson Wolff to create task forces,” Kling said. “Good news is we have the ability to do just that, so we are taking over Precinct 3.”

Kling is hoping to unseat state Sen. Donna Campbell, and Kopser is running against Chip Roy to replace U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith. They face long odds. Even the bluest of bluest waves might not break the Republican sea wall in these districts, which have distinctly red geographies. But that’s beside the point, really.

Here is the point: These are quality candidates running quality campaigns who are giving voters legitimate choices — and getting no help from their local party. Kopser is a West Point grad, and Kling joined the Army Reserve after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They know the issues. They speak with conviction. They are forthright.

“We think those are two candidates north of town that are really important to the community because of their military background,” Wolff said. “The issues they are articulating. They just bring a whole new dynamic to the party that we never have had before.”

The Bexar County Democratic Party should be falling over itself to support these candidates, but instead it just keeps falling over itself.

The party inexplicably endorsed three proposed city charter change amendments put forth by the city of San Antonio’s fire union, even though those proposed charter changes carry great risk for the city (a potential credit downgrade would cost millions per year) and would empower special interests (like the fire union) to subvert the democratic process.

Kling called that loss a “kick in the gut” because it will make it that much harder to break the Republican super majority in the Texas Senate, which he said is key for Democrats getting a seat at the table and providing representation to millions of Texans. But it also highlighted sluggish ineptitude.

“They didn’t take it seriously, and we watched Republicans come in and see an opportunity in a special election,” Kling said.

Wolff said it’s always been this way.

“I can’t remember the party ever being effective,” he said, adding that he was sure Kling and Kopser would at least “close the gap” in these races.

This speaks to the broader issue facing Democrats in Texas. Democrats often speak of demographics as destiny. They can drone on and on about the growing Latino population as the eventual rising tide that will lift all blue boats. It’s a debatable idea, but even tapping into demographic change requires basic organization and competency. It is also an inherently complacent outlook. It’s a viewpoint that says, one day, but not today.

This is why outside of U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the party has struggled to recruit inspiring and credible candidates for races they are likely to lose. And, yet, when it has two credible and engaging candidates such as Kopser and Kling, who have invested time and resources in their races despite long odds, the party is too disorganized to help the cause.